Lock for bag-frames.



N0- 82'7,563. PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

' L. B. PRAHAR.

LOOK FOR BAG FRAMES.

APPLICATION FILED 001224, 1904.

lNl/EA/TOR .-.Z0uzbr.3-Pra/zar A TTORNEYS and a sectional plan view of the lock.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS B. PRAHAR, or new YORK, N. Y.

LOCK FOR BAG-FRAMES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1906.

10 all wit/fin it naty concern:

Be it known that I, Louis B. PRAHAR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borou h of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Lock for Bag-Frames, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to looks for bagframes which while applicable to any form of frame is especially adapted for use in connection with a three-leaf or three-membered frame.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a lock carried by one member of the frame, usually the central member, which will receive and fasten the other frame members in closed position in such manner that either outer frame member may be released without disturbing the locking connection between the other inembers of the frame, and

so that at will both of the outer frame members may be simultaneously released, completely opening the bag to which the frame is secured, both outer members when closed being self-locking.

A further purpose of the invention is to construct a lock capable of performing the functions above described, which will consist practically of'two main elements, a casing, and a latch-plate within the casing having spring-controlled rocking and lifting action, together'with means for conveniently operating the latch-plate at the exterior of the casing by the fingers of one hand.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims. I

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bagframe and the improved lock applied to the frame. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the frame Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the lock detached from the frame. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through the frame and the lock, the members of the frame being held closed by the lock and the section being taken practically on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4, drawn upon a larger scale and illustrating two memthe center of the members.

' bers of the frame in locked position and one member unlocked, the latch-plate being in position to accomplish such results. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a portion of the frame and a side elevation of a lock slightly differing in construction from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the lock shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 is a vertical central section through the lock shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and the bag-frame, the members of the frame being shown as locked together.

A represents a bag-frame of the usual type having three hinge-connected members a, a, and a and each outer member a and a is provided, preferably,'with two lugs or offsets 10 at its upper face in longitudinal alinement with the frame, located one at each side of The inner faces of the lugs or offsets 10 are beveled at their outer ends. The lock consistsmainly of a casing B open at the bottom and a latch member C, mounted for rocking and lifting action within the casing.

A marginal flange 11 is integral with or is attached to the open bottom portion of the casing, and said casing is secured to the upper central portion of the central frame member A through the medium of the said flange and rivets or their equivalents and also in the construction of the casing containing the form of latch C, (shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,) opposing centrally-located side openings 12 are produced, extending to the bottom edge of the casing.

The latch C is preferably made of sheet metal; but other material may be used, if desired. In the construction of the latch C. a transverse central member 13 is employed, extending through the openings 12 in the easing, which member is of much less width than the length of the openings 12, and the mate rial at the ends of the member 13 is widened and bent upward, forming side wings 14,

which extend at each side of the casing out of engagement therewith, so that there is limited play between the wings and the casing. The wings 14 are of a width nearly equal to the length of the openings 12, and the lower edges of the wings where they connect with the transverse member 13 are struck or curved downward or areotherwise formed to produce lower marginal longitudinal shoulders 15, as is articularly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. In t e further construction of the latch C tongues 16 extend from each side edge of the transverse member 13, which tongues are made of sufficient width at their outer ends to approach the inner side walls of the casing B near enough to prevent aside or lateral wabbling movement of the latch C when in position in the casing.

A stem 16 is secured to the latch C at its central portion, and this stem or stud 16* extends out through a transversely-elongated opening 17 in the top of the casing B. Preferably the stem or stud 16 terminates in a knob 18 at its outer end, its inner end being securely fastened to the latch, and a spring 19 is coiled around the stem or stud 16, having bearing against the central portion of the latch and against the under face of the top of the casing, as is particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When the members of the frame A are closed, the lugs or offsets 10 on the outer members a and a of the frame will be within the casing B and in engagement with the shoulders 15 on the wings at each side of the transverse central member 13 of the latch, as is shown in Fig. 4. The spring 19 exerts tension on the latch, so as to normally hold the latch in its locking position relative to the lugs or offsets on the frame members when the latter are closed, yet a space intervenes between the outer bottom portion of the latch and the opposing portions of the outer members of the frame which permits of a rocking motion of the latch in the casing. Thus if the right-hand member of the frame is to be opened, as is shown in Fig. 5, it is simply necessary to press the left-hand Wing 14 inward, or press the button or knob at the top of the stem 16 toward the left, where upon the right-hand portion of the latch will be forced downward, as is shown in Fig. 5, and the left-hand porton will be raised, releasing the lugs on the left-hand member of the frame from engagement with the latch, permitting this member of the frame to open. When the stem 16 is released or the wing operated or is relieved from pressure, the spring 19, which will have been placed under tension, will act to restore the latch to its normal or practically horizontal position, and the released or left-hand member of the frame may then be closed by simply pressing it to or against the central member, the beveled inner edge of the lug on the left-hand member permitting it to ride under the latch and lift it until the said lug is again in engagement with the shoulder at the left-hand side of the latch. When the right-hand member of the frame is to be opened, the stem 16" is carried in direction of the left-hand memher or the right-hand wing 14 is pressed inward, and it is evident that when one member is released and permitted to open the corresponding opposite member is held firmly closed, as the latch at that side will have much greater locking bearing on the said member than before. If it is desired to simultaneously open both of the outer members of the frame, it is simply necessary to draw the latch upward by pulling outward on the stem 16 whereupon the latch will be taken out of locking engagement with the lugs or ofisets on both of the outer members of the frame.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 I have illustrated a slight modification in the construction of the lock wherein the wings 14 described are dispensed with. In such an event theoasihg B is constructed as has been heretofore described with the exception of two openings 20, which are produced in each side of the casing at its lower edge, one at each side of the center of the casing, as is shown best in Fig. 6, and the latch C employed consists of a plate which is entirely contained within the casing and extends longitudinally thereof, as is shown particularly in Fig. 7, the plate being of sufficient length to extend beyond the outer edges of the openings 20 in the casing, and the said plate is provided with downwardly-extending side flanges 21, extending the full length of the plate. These side flanges 21 normally close the openings 20 in the casing. A stem 22 is secured to the central portion of the latch C and is carried out through a transversely-elongated opening in the top of the casing, and a spring 23 is coiled around the stem within the casing, having bearin on the latch and against the upper inner face of the casing, as is shown in Fig. 8. Under this construction the latch is rocked so as to release one side member of a frame and yet retain thecorresponding opposite member in looking position relative to the central member by the movement of the stem 22 either toward one side or the other of the casing, and when both outer members of the frame are to be released the said stem 22 is simply drawn upward, whereupon the latch is raised or lifted away from the lugs on the frame.

Although I have shown and described the springs 19 and 23 as spiral, it will be understood that any other adaptable form of spring may be substituted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A look for bag-frames, comprising a casing having openings in its sides, and a springcontrolled latch within the casing, extending out at the openings therein and mounted for rocking and lifting action in the casing.

2. A look for bag-frames, consisting of a casing having openings in its sides, a latch located in the casing having keeper members opposite the said openin s, a stem connected with the latch, mounte for rocking movement in the casing, and a spring normally exerting downward pressure on the said latch, the said spring being placed under tension when the latch is moved in direction of one or the other side of the casing.

r 3. A lock for the frames of bags, consisting of a casing having openings in its sides, a latch-plate loosely located in the said casing and having keeper members located opposite the openings in the casing, a stem connected with the latch-plate, extending outward through an elongated opening in the casing, and a spring located around the said stem, having bearing against the said casing and upon the latch-plate.

4. A bag-frame comprising three hingeconnected' members, lugs extending upward from the central portions of the outer members of the said frame, a casing secured to the central member of the frame, having openings in its sides adapted to receive the lugs on the outer members of the frame, a latchplate located loosely within the said casing,

'keeper members forming a portion of the said latch-plate and extending opposite the openings in the casin to normally close the same, a stem attached to the said latch-plate and extending out through an elongated opening in the casing, and a spring bearing upon the said latch-plate and against the said casing, whereby the said latch may be given a rocking and lateral movement within the said casing against the tension of the spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS B. PRAHAR.

Witnesses:

J. FRED. AOKER, JNo. M. RITTER. 

